Purifying feed-water for steam-boilers



*( Model!) I 2 SheetsSheet 1.

G. STICKLE. PURIFYING FEED WATER POE STEAM BOILERS.

Patented Sept. 18, 1894.

rm: oams PETERS co, FHOTO LITHO- WASNINGTON/DA c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

0. S TIGKLE. PURIFYING FEED WATER FOR STEAM BOILERS. No. 526,330.PatentedSept. 18, 1894.

THE beams PETERS COI'FHOTO-UTHQ. WASHXNGTON, n. cy

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

COLE STIC KLF OF SALEM, NEWV YORK.

PURIFYING FEED-WATER FOR STEAM-BOILERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 526,330, datedSeptember 18, 1894.

Application filed November 27, 1893- Serial No. 492,048. (N 0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, COLE STIOKLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Salem, county of Washington, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Purifying Feed-Water forSteam- ?oilers, of which the following isa specifica- My inventionrelates to such improvements and consists of the novel construction andcombination of parts hereinafter described and subsequently claimed. I I

Reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, and the letters ofreference marked Ehereon, which form a part of this specificaion. I

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several figures therein. I

My invention relates to improvements in the method of, and apparatusfor, purifying the feed-water of steam-boilers.

The invention has for its object the purification of the feed-water sothat when it is deposited in the boiler, it shall be compara tively freefrom sediment and scale. I have ascertained that when water is suppliedto a boiler through a small feed-pipe, little or no scale forms on theinterior of the pipe, even when the feed-water is heated fully orapproximately to the boiler-temperature; and that when the heatedfeed-water is discharged into a large body of superheated water, as intothe boiler, that the scale is deposited or formed almost entirely withina radius of a few feet of the outlet of the feed-pipe. Thus when thefeed-pipe is projected into the boiler to discharge near the middle ofthe same, the scale is deposited in large quantities near the middle ofthe boiler, while comparatively little is formed near the ends.

In carrying out my invention, the feed-water, after being heated by theexhaust steam in the usual manner, is still further heated until itreaches the boiler-temperature. It is then passed from the smallfeed-pipe, without decreasing its temperature, rapidly into a reservoirof water superheated to or above the temperature of the water in theboiler. In this reservoir the water is subjected to all feed-water intothe boiler and both the reservoir water and feed-water being highlyheated, the conditions are most favorablefor the formation or deposit ofscale. From this reservoir, which is below the level of the boiler, thefeed-water is passed slowly into the boiler, leaving comparatively allof its impurities in the reservoir, which is made easy of access and canbe easily and frequently cleaned.

Referringto the drawings, Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevationand partly in section of a steam-boiler provided with my improvedapparatus for purifying the feed water. Fig. 2 is a verticalcross-section of the depositing reservoir. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectiontaken transversely of one of the depositing trays in the reservoir.

A- represents a common type of steamboiler mounted above afurnace ofwhich A- is the. grate, A the bridge-wall, A the combustion-chamber, andA the chimney or escape-flue.

B- is the feed-pipe which leads from a heating device B' which may beany known form of construction for utilizing the exhaust steam topartially heat the feed-water. The feed-pipe passes from such heatingdevice into the front end of the boiler, and forming a loop 13*- withinthe boiler, passes out again through such front end. The loop is locatedbelow the water level in the boiler and has no outlet therein. Thereturn arm of the loop is connected by the feed-pipe B with adepositing-reservoir (J from which a feedpipe B leads into the boiler.The reservoir O is located in the combustion-chamber below the boiler,and is preferably in the form of a cylindrical shell extendinglongitudinally of such chamber.

The construction of this reservoir constitutes an important feature ofmy invention.

The reservoir is provided with aplurality of longitudinal tlues O-- forthe passage of the heated gases from the furnace therethrough; and witha hand-hole at 0 and a manhole at C The lower portion of the reservoiris embedded in the masonry foundation A the conditions attendant uponpassing the and the manhole is located at about the middle of the bottomside of the reservoir in a p0 sition to be wholly protected by themasonry from contact with the flames and heated gases of thecombustion-chamber. The reservoir is also provided with a plurality ofinclined stay-rods D- extending transversely of the reservoir, which aresecured at their ends to the shell or wall of the reservoir. Thestayrods serve to support and strengthen the shell, and also serve assupports for a plurality of tray-sections D-' which extendhorizontallyacross the reservoir-chamber.

The object of the trays is to receive and collect scale or sediment,especially that which is of a greater specific gravity than water, asformed or deposited upon the entrance of the feed-water into thereservoir. Another object of the trays is to form obstructions todeflect the water in its passage through the reservoir and preventimpurities of approximately the specific gravity of water from beingcarried along by the current of feed-water to the exit end of thereservoir. The tray-sections may be supported within the reservoir inany known manner.

I have shown the trays each riveted to a back-plate D supported in seatsor sockets formed by brackets D secured to the stayrods, and detachablyheld in their seats by the lips D also secured to the stay-rods inposition to overhang the upper edge of the respective back-plates. Thelip is oifset and secured to the stay-rod at a distance from its end toafford a recess D- of sufiicient depth to permit the back-plate to beelevated until its bottom edge can be slipped over the bracket Dwhereupon the tray can be removed. The trays are arranged in alternateseries, as shown, and are made in short sections, to facilitate theirremoval through the manhole for repairs and cleaning.

The feed-pipe B which forms the outlet for the reservoir, is much largerin diameter than the feed-pipe B which forms the inlet thereto, wherebyI am able to pass the water from the reservoir to the boiler veryslowly, its current velocity being much less than upon its entrance tothe reservoir through the small pipe B velocity of the flow from thereservoir, the force of the current is insufficient to carry with it theimpurities which fall by gravity into the trays or upon the bottom ofthe reservoir. The slow upward movement of the water from the reservoiraffords ample time for the heavier impurities to settle. The lighterform of impurities, which is of the same or less specific gravity thanwater, adheres readily to the heated surfaces with which it comes incontact, such as the shell or fines of the reservoir. I have shown thetrays, each provided with an overhanging top D to arrest such impuritiesas tend'to rise with the water, while the lower part of the By thusreducing the tray is trough-shaped to receive the'impurities which fallor settle by gravity. Theoverhanging top of each tray is in the form ofan inverted trough. I am thus able by my improved apparatus, abovedescribed, to subject the feed-water to the most favorable conditionsfor the deposit of scale in the reservoir,on account of the superheatedcondition of both the feed-water and water in the reservoir, whichgreatly facilities the formation and deposit of scale.

The cleaning of the reservoir is an easy matter comparedwith thecleaning of the boiler, as in alarge plant the reservoiris made ofsuficient size to permit the entrance of a man to remove the depositedscale, and to remove, and replace the trays after they have beencleaned.

As a means for washing out the reservoir,

I provide a blow-off pipe C leading from the reservoir, having a valve Cand a valve B in the feed-pipe by which the feedsupply to the reservoircan be shut off, thereby causing the boiler-pressure to create aback-flow through the pipe B and the reservoir, when the blow-0E valveis opened. The back-flow from theboiler being of small volume ascompared with the body of water in the reservoir, is not sufficient tocause the desired agitation in the reservoir. I have therefore providedthe feed-pipe B* with avalve B" by which the back-flow can be cut offuntil the reservoir has been emptied by gravity through theblow-off-pipe whereupon the valve 13 can be opened to wash out thereservoir. The end B of the pipe B is deflected toward the bottom of thereservoir to subject the heaviest deposits, which settle and form uponthe bottom of the reservoir, to the full force of thejet from theboiler.

WhatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The herein described method of treating feed-water for steam-boilers,which consists in heating rapidly moving water to the boilertemperature,passing the heated water below the boiler level into a considerable bodyof superheated water, and feeding by a slowly ascending current fromsuch body of water into the boiler, substantially as described.

2. In a water-purifying apparatus for steamboilers, the combination witha depositing reservoir, of an inletpipe and controlling valve, ablow-off pipe and controlling valve, and a boilersupply pipe andcontrolling valve, substantially as described.

8. The combination in a purifying reservoir for steam-boilers, of a drumhaving a manhole, a feed-water inlet-pipe connected with.

one end of the drum, a boiler-pipe connected with the other end of thedrum, and a series of detachable arresting-trays supported trans-vversely within the drum, substantially as described.

4. In a feed-water purifier, the combination supporting the tray withinthe reservoir, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day ofNovember, 1893. COLE STICKLE.

Witnesses:

FRANK C. CURTIS, A. E. DELANEY.

